Strain rate induced amorphization in metallic nanowires

Strain rate can induce amorphization/melting in homogeneous elastically strained face centered cubic single crystal nanowires. This transformation is determined by molecular dynamics simulation and is indicated by: the change in the radial distribution function (RDF) expected for an amorphous material; the symmetry in the elastic constants expected for an amorphous material; the vanishing tetragonal shear modulus at the start of the transformation; and a limiting stress for uniform strain rate.